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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 200
DATE 07-11-2012
Summary:
- MAN IS A SEEKER OF THE ABSOLUTE
- THE POPE MAKES A FRESH APPEAL FOR PEACE IN SYRIA
- MESSAGE OF BENEDICT XVI TO U.S. PRESIDENT OBAMA
- DEATH OF PATRIARCH MAXIM OF BULGARIA
- BENEDICT XVI TO VISIT HOME FOR THE ELDERLY
- FINANCIAL INFORMATION AUTHORITY APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
MAN IS A SEEKER OF THE ABSOLUTE
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - In his general audience today Benedict
XVI, continuing a series of catecheses on the subject of Catholic faith,
focused on what, he said, "is a fascinating aspect of human and Christian
experience: the fact that man
carries within him a mysterious desire for God".
Such an affirmation, the Pope went on, "may seem provocative in the context of
secularised Western culture. Many of our contemporaries could, in fact, object
that they feel not the slightest desire for God. For large sectors of society
He is no longer
awaited or desired; rather He leaves people indifferent, something about which
they do not even have to make an effort to express themselves.
"Yet the fact is that what we have defined as 'desire for God' has not
completely disappeared and still today it emerges in man's heart in many
different ways. Human desire always tends towards certain concrete things
which are often anything but
spiritual, yet it nonetheless has to consider the question of what good truly
is, and this means facing something other than itself, something man cannot
construct but is called to recognise. What is it that can truly satisfy man's
desire?
"In my first Encyclical 'Deus caritas est' I sought to examine how this
phenomenon is realised in the experience of human love, which in our time is
most easily recognised as a moment of ecstasy and abandonment, a place in
which man has the experience
of being overcome by a desire greater than himself. Through love a man and a
woman, the one thanks to the other, enjoy a new experience of the greatness
and beauty of life and reality. If what I experience is not a mere illusion,
if I truly wish the
other's good, also as a way to my own good, then I must be ready not to focus
on my own self, to place myself at the service of the other, even to the point
of self-renouncement. Thus the answer to the question about the meaning of the
experience of
love involves the purification and healing of desire, which is a requirement
of the love we bear the other.
"We must exercise, train and correct ourselves so that we can truly love
others", Pope Benedict added. Yet "not even the beloved is capable of
satisfying the desire that dwells in the human heart. Quite the contrary, the
more authentic our love for
another person is, the more it raises the question about the origin and
destiny of that love, the possibility that it may last forever".
"Similar considerations could also be made about other human experiences such
as friendship, the experience of beauty or love of knowledge. Everything good
that man experiences tends towards the mystery which surrounds man himself.
Each desire that
arises in the human heart is an echo of a fundamental desire which is never
fully sated".
The Holy Father went on: "Man is well aware of what does not satisfy him, but
is unable to imagine or define that which would make him experience that
happiness for which his heart longs. We cannot know God on the basis only of
human desire. Here there
is an abiding mystery: man is searching for the absolute, but his search
advances with slow and hesitant steps".
"Even in our own time, which seems so averse to the transcendent dimension" it
is possible "to open the way towards an authentic religious sense of life
which shows how the gift of faith is neither absurd nor irrational", said
Benedict XVI. In this
context he proposed "a pedagogy of desire, ... including at least two aspects:
Firstly, the acquisition or reacquisition of a taste for the authentic joys of
life. Not all satisfactions produce the same effect upon us; some leave
positive traces and are
capable of pacifying our hearts making us more active and generous. Others, on
the other hand, following the initial light they bring, seem to delude the
expectations that aroused them and sometimes leave bitterness, dissatisfaction
or a sense of
emptiness in their wake".
A second aspect of the pedagogy of desire consists of "never being satisfied
with the goals we have reached", said the Holy Father. "It is the most
authentic joys which are able to liberate within us that sense of healthy
disquiet which leads us to be
more demanding, to desire a more exalted or more profound good, and at the
same time to becoming increasingly aware that nothing finite can fill our
hearts. Thus will we learn to tend, unarmed, towards that good which we cannot
construct or procure by
our own efforts, without allowing ourselves to be discouraged by the fatigue
or obstacles that come from our sin".
Finally the Holy Father noted that "desire always remains open to redemption,
even when it takes the wrong paths, when it seeks artificial paradises and
seems to lose its capacity to desire the true good. Even in the abyss of sin
man never loses that
spark which enables him to recognise and savour what is truly good, and to
start along the path of ascension on which God, with the gift of His grace,
will not fail to give His aid".
"This does not mean, then, smothering the desire that is in man's heart, but
liberating it so that it can reach its true height. When desire opens a window
to God this is a sign of the presence of faith in a person's heart, faith
which is a grace of
God", Benedict XVI concluded.
___________________________________________________________
THE POPE MAKES A FRESH APPEAL FOR PEACE IN SYRIA
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - At the end of his general audience, the
Pope launched the following appeal for peace in Syria.
"I continue to follow with great concern the tragic situation of violent
conflict in Syria, where the fighting has not ceased and each day the toll of
victims rises, accompanied by the untold suffering of many civilians,
especially those who have been
forced to abandon their homes.
"As a sign of my own solidarity and that of the whole Church for the Syrian
people, as well as our spiritual closeness to the Christian communities in
that country, I had hoped to send a Delegation of Synod Fathers to Damascus.
"Unfortunately, due to a variety of circumstances and developments, it was not
possible to carry out this initiative as planned, and so I have decided to
entrust a special mission to Cardinal Robert Sarah, President of the
Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum'.
"From today until 10 November, he will be in Lebanon, where he will meet the
pastors and faithful of the Churches present in Syria. He will visit a number
of refugees from that country and will chair a meeting of Catholic charitable
agencies to
coordinate efforts, as the Holy See has urgently requested, to provide
assistance to the Syrian people, within and outside the country.
"As I make my prayer to God, I renew my invitation to the parties in conflict,
and to all those who have the good of Syria at heart, to spare no effort in
the search for peace and to pursue through dialogue the path to a just
coexistence, in view of a
suitable political solution of the conflict.
"We must do everything that is possible, because one day it may be too late!"
___________________________________________________________
MESSAGE OF BENEDICT XVI TO U.S. PRESIDENT OBAMA
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI, through the apostolic
nunciature in Washington, U.S.A., has sent a message to Barack Obama,
congratulating him on his re-election as president of the United States of
America.
In his message the Holy Father expresses his best wishes to the president on
his new mandate, and gives assurances of his prayers to God to help him carry
out his serious responsibilities, both in his own country and within the
international community.
The Pope also speaks of his hope that the ideals of freedom and justice, which
guided the founding fathers of the Unites States of America, may continue to
shine out as the nation progresses.
Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. also made a brief
comment on the re-election of President Obama. "As we all know", he said, "the
U.S. president has an immense responsibility, not only in his own country but
also towards the
rest of the world, given the role the U.S.A. plays at an international level".
"For this reason we hope that President Obama will respond to his fellow
citizens' expectations, serving law and justice for the good and development
of all people, and respecting essential human and spiritual values while
promoting a culture of life
and religious freedom".
___________________________________________________________
DEATH OF PATRIARCH MAXIM OF BULGARIA
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father sent a message of
condolence to the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church following the
death of His Beatitude Maxim, Metropolitan of Sofia and Patriarch of Bulgaria.
"For many years", writes
Benedict XVI, the deceased "dutifully served the Lord and His people. In the
name of the Catholic Church, I accompany your mourning with my prayers ...
and, participating in the mourning of the Orthodox Church in Bulgaria, I give
thanks to God for the
good brought by the late Patriarch to his Church and to the people of his
country. In particular, I recall the cordial welcome given to Blessed John
Paul II ... in May 2002. I thank the Lord for the good relations the Patriarch
developed with the
Catholic Church, ... and I hope that this good rapport may continue to promote
the proclamation of the Gospel".
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI TO VISIT HOME FOR THE ELDERLY
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - On the occasion of the European Year for
Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, at 11 a.m. on Monday 12
November Benedict XVI will visit the Sant'Egidio Community's "Viva gli
Anziani" home for the elderly
in Rome.
___________________________________________________________
FINANCIAL INFORMATION AUTHORITY APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - Francesco De Pasquale, director of the
Financial Information Authority (AIF) since June 2011, has been appointed to
the board of the AIF. He is succeeded by Rene Bruelhart, former director of
the Financial
Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Liechtenstein.
Francesco De Pasquale, who has extensive experience at the "Ufficio Italiano
Cambi" and the Bank of Italy and has been Director of the AIF since June 2011,
has been named a member of the board of AIF, which in addition to the
president, Cardinal Attilio
Nicora, includes Prof. Condemi, Prof. Dalla Torre, Prof. Bianchi and Dr. Testa.
Cardinal Nicora has named Rene Bruelhart to succeed De Pasquale. Bruelhart,
former director of the FIU of Liechtenstein and Vice-President of the Egmont
Group, the international network of FIUs, has been an adviser to the Holy See
and Vatican City since
September in matters relating to action against money laundering and financing
of terrorism.
With the promotion of De Pasquale to the Board of Directors and the nomination
of Bruelhart to Director, AIF has strengthened its internal organisation. This
represents one more step in the effort to combat money laundering and the
financing of
terrorism.
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience Archbishop Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Jorge Alves Bezerra S.S.S. of Jardim, Brazil, as bishop of Paracatu
(area 54,387, population 332,000, Catholics 259,000, priests 44, permanent
deacons 13, religious 13), Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Leonardo de Miranda
Pereira, whose resignation
from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon
having reached the age limit.
- Msgr. Eraldo Bispo da Silva, vicar general of Barreiras, as bishop of Patos
(area 10,874, population 402,000, Catholics 368,000, priests 49, permanent
deacons 8, religious 42), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Monteiro,
Brazil in 1966 and ordained
a priest in 1993. He studied in Brazil and Colombia and has been active in
pastoral care in several different parishes.
- As ordinary members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences: Vanderlei
Salvador Bagnato, professor of physics at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil,
and Joachim von Braun, professor of economics and technological innovation,
and director of the
Research Development Centre at the University of Bonn, Germany.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews121107
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 200DATE 07-11-2012
Summary: - MAN IS A SEEKER OF THE
ABSOLUTE - THE POPE MAKES A
FRESH APPEAL FOR PEACE IN SYRIA - MESSAGE OF BENEDICT XVI TO U.S.
PRESIDENT OBAMA - DEATH OF PATRIARCH MAXIM OF BULGARIA - BENEDICT
XVI TO VISIT HOME FOR THE ELDERLY - FINANCIAL INFORMATION AUTHORITY
APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR AND
EXECUTIVE - AUDIENCES - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
MAN IS A SEEKER OF THE ABSOLUTE
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - In his general audience today
Benedict XVI, continuing a series of catecheses on the subject of Catholic
faith, focused on what, he said, "is a fascinating aspect of human and
Christian experience: the fact that
man carries within him a mysterious desire for God".
Such an affirmation, the Pope went on, "may seem provocative in the context
of secularised Western culture. Many of our contemporaries could, in fact,
object that they feel not the slightest desire for God. For large sectors of
society He is no
longer awaited or desired; rather He leaves people indifferent, something
about which they do not even have to make an effort to express themselves.
"Yet the fact is that what we have defined as 'desire for God' has not
completely disappeared and still today it emerges in man's heart in many
different ways. Human desire always tends towards certain concrete things
which are often anything but
spiritual, yet it nonetheless has to consider the question of what good truly
is, and this means facing something other than itself, something man cannot
construct but is called to recognise. What is it that can truly satisfy man's
desire?
"In my first Encyclical 'Deus caritas est' I sought to examine how this
phenomenon is realised in the experience of human love, which in our time is
most easily recognised as a moment of ecstasy and abandonment, a place in
which man has the
experience of being overcome by a desire greater than himself. Through love a
man and a woman, the one thanks to the other, enjoy a new experience of the
greatness and beauty of life and reality. If what I experience is not a mere
illusion, if I truly
wish the other's good, also as a way to my own good, then I must be ready not
to focus on my own self, to place myself at the service of the other, even to
the point of self-renouncement. Thus the answer to the question about the
meaning of the
experience of love involves the purification and healing of desire, which is a
requirement of the love we bear the other.
"We must exercise, train and correct ourselves so that we can truly love
others", Pope Benedict added. Yet "not even the beloved is capable of
satisfying the desire that dwells in the human heart. Quite the contrary, the
more authentic our love for
another person is, the more it raises the question about the origin and
destiny of that love, the possibility that it may last forever".
"Similar considerations could also be made about other human experiences
such as friendship, the experience of beauty or love of knowledge. Everything
good that man experiences tends towards the mystery which surrounds man
himself. Each desire that
arises in the human heart is an echo of a fundamental desire which is never
fully sated".
The Holy Father went on: "Man is well aware of what does not satisfy him,
but is unable to imagine or define that which would make him experience that
happiness for which his heart longs. We cannot know God on the basis only of
human desire. Here
there is an abiding mystery: man is searching for the absolute, but his search
advances with slow and hesitant steps".
"Even in our own time, which seems so averse to the transcendent dimension"
it is possible "to open the way towards an authentic religious sense of life
which shows how the gift of faith is neither absurd nor irrational", said
Benedict XVI. In this
context he proposed "a pedagogy of desire, ... including at least two aspects:
Firstly, the acquisition or reacquisition of a taste for the authentic joys of
life. Not all satisfactions produce the same effect upon us; some leave
positive traces and are
capable of pacifying our hearts making us more active and generous. Others, on
the other hand, following the initial light they bring, seem to delude the
expectations that aroused them and sometimes leave bitterness, dissatisfaction
or a sense of
emptiness in their wake".
A second aspect of the pedagogy of desire consists of "never being
satisfied with the goals we have reached", said the Holy Father. "It is the
most authentic joys which are able to liberate within us that sense of healthy
disquiet which leads us to
be more demanding, to desire a more exalted or more profound good, and at the
same time to becoming increasingly aware that nothing finite can fill our
hearts. Thus will we learn to tend, unarmed, towards that good which we cannot
construct or procure
by our own efforts, without allowing ourselves to be discouraged by the
fatigue or obstacles that come from our sin".
Finally the Holy Father noted that "desire always remains open to
redemption, even when it takes the wrong paths, when it seeks artificial
paradises and seems to lose its capacity to desire the true good. Even in the
abyss of sin man never loses that
spark which enables him to recognise and savour what is truly good, and to
start along the path of ascension on which God, with the gift of His grace,
will not fail to give His aid".
"This does not mean, then, smothering the desire that is in man's heart,
but liberating it so that it can reach its true height. When desire opens a
window to God this is a sign of the presence of faith in a person's heart,
faith which is a grace of
God", Benedict XVI concluded.
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - At the end of his general audience,
the Pope launched the following appeal for peace in Syria.
"I continue to follow with great concern the tragic situation of violent
conflict in Syria, where the fighting has not ceased and each day the toll of
victims rises, accompanied by the untold suffering of many civilians,
especially those who have
been forced to abandon their homes.
"As a sign of my own solidarity and that of the whole Church for the Syrian
people, as well as our spiritual closeness to the Christian communities in
that country, I had hoped to send a Delegation of Synod Fathers to
Damascus.
"Unfortunately, due to a variety of circumstances and developments, it was
not possible to carry out this initiative as planned, and so I have decided to
entrust a special mission to Cardinal Robert Sarah, President of the
Pontifical Council 'Cor
Unum'.
"From today until 10 November, he will be in Lebanon, where he will meet
the pastors and faithful of the Churches present in Syria. He will visit a
number of refugees from that country and will chair a meeting of Catholic
charitable agencies to
coordinate efforts, as the Holy See has urgently requested, to provide
assistance to the Syrian people, within and outside the country.
"As I make my prayer to God, I renew my invitation to the parties in
conflict, and to all those who have the good of Syria at heart, to spare no
effort in the search for peace and to pursue through dialogue the path to a
just coexistence, in view of
a suitable political solution of the conflict.
"We must do everything that is possible, because one day it may be too
late!"
Vatican City, 7 November 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI, through the apostolic
nunciature in Washington, U.S.A., has sent a message to Barack Obama,
congratulating him on his re-election as president of the United States of
America.
In his message the Holy Father expresses his best wishes to the president
on his new mandate, and gives assurances of his prayers to God to help him
carry out his serious responsibilities, both in his own country and within the
international
community. The Pope also speaks of his hope that the ideals of freedom and
justice, which guided the founding fathers of the Unites States of America,
may continue to shine out as the nation progresses.
Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. also made a brief
comment on the re-election of President Obama. "As we all know", he said, "the
U.S. president has an immense responsibility, not only in his own country but
also towards the
rest of the world, given the role the U.S.A. plays at an international
level".
"For this reason we hope that President Obama will respond to his fellow
citizens' expectations, serving law and justice for the good and development
of all people, and respecting essential human and spiritual values while
promoting a culture of life
and religious freedom".
